40 years and Beyond: The Life of an Unofficial High Court Barber

The ring of a cycle bell announces his arrival. A 71 –year-old, the man is dressed in a half-sleeved shirt and pants, both carefully ironed. His innocent smile does not betray the simplicity of his heart, for he would never hold any malice against anyone. With an ever-welcoming smile, he would graciously invite you to his humble shop, a gesture which is difficult to ignore. He is P. Sasidharan (pictured in blue shirt), the unofficial barber of many Chief Justices and judges of the Kerala High Court for the past several years.

Remarkably, Sasidharan has been in the business since the past 40 years. Years passed, but the dedication and enthusiasm with which he carries out every task doesn’t seem to have declined. “Happiness that I get from serving people, putting a smile on their faces is the one thing that keeps me going,” says Sasidharan. He is still willing to go to his customer’s house for a haircut.

Originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Sasidharan’s father Narayanan died when he was 8 years old. He shouldered the responsibility of his family and started working at a cycle shop where his work was of fixing punctures. He then went on to work in a tailor shop, the salary from which, however, was insufficient.

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The ring of a cycle bell announces his arrival. A 71 –year-old, the man is dressed in a half-sleeved shirt and pants, both carefully ironed. His innocent smile does not betray the simplicity of his heart, for he would never hold any malice against anyone. With an ever-welcoming smile, he would graciously invite you to his humble shop, a gesture which is difficult to ignore. He is P. Sasidharan (pictured in blue shirt), the unofficial barber of many Chief Justices and judges of the Kerala High Court for the past several years.

Remarkably, Sasidharan has been in the business since the past 40 years. Years passed, but the dedication and enthusiasm with which he carries out every task doesn’t seem to have declined. “Happiness that I get from serving people, putting a smile on their faces is the one thing that keeps me going,” says Sasidharan. He is still willing to go to his customer’s house for a haircut.

Originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Sasidharan’s father Narayanan died when he was 8 years old. He shouldered the responsibility of his family and started working at a cycle shop where his work was of fixing punctures. He then went on to work in a tailor shop, the salary from which, however, was insufficient.

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